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Collection of leaves from early manuscripts, one in Beneventan script, in Latin, on vellum [tenth to thirteenth century]
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description
- Vellum
eight leaves (including 2 bifolia): (a) fragment of a leaf from Saint Augustine, Commentary on John (Migne, Pat. Lat., 35, cols.1766-67), 160mm. by 104mm., remains of two columns with 11 lines in black ink in a fine Beneventan minuscule, capitals touched in orange, offset in places from another leaf, verso blank, Italy (probably Montecassino), c.1100; (b) bifolium (each leaf 345mm. by 215mm.) and a cutting with one column (325mm. by 120mm.) from a lectionary with readings for 2 June: the feasts of SS. Erasmus of Formiae (St. Elmo, d.303), Marcellinus (d.304) and Peter the Exorcist (associate of Marcellinus, d.304), double column, 30 lines in black ink in a fine early Carolingian minuscule, rubrics in ornamental red capitals, 15 red penwork initials, probably Germany, late tenth century; (c) small fragment of Saint Augustine, Sermon CLXI for Easter, 153mm. by 73mm., remains of double column, 10 lines in black ink in a rounded early gothic bookhand, Italy, mid-twelfth century; (d) leaf from an early choirbook, 287mm. by 205mm., with readings for Saint Mauricius the martyr (d.287), the leader of a Theban Roman legion who refused to harass Christians in Switzerland and was murdered along with his 6000 soldiers (the saint became the patron of the Holy Roman emperors, and in 926 Henry I gave up the canton of Aargau to the abbey of Saint Maurice-en-Valais in exchange for Maurice's lance, sword and spurs; these in turn becoming part of the coronation regalia used by the Austro-Hungarian emperors until the First World War), single column, 12 lines of dark brown ink in a spiky Germanic bookhand, with neumes on a red and green stave, red initials with simple flourishes, the saint’s name in alternate red and brown capitals, Germany or Switzerland, late twelfth century; (e) bifolium from a choirbook, each leaf 380mm. by 275mm., 14 lines of brown script with music arranged around a red stave-line, rubrics in red, simple red initial, Germany, thirteenth century; all recovered from bindings and with small holes, scuffs and stains, overall fair condition